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Fanatic Shark 145 HRS

For MANY years I have been a longboarder and still am ...

When I started looking at shortboards around 2006, I was always looking at the Fanatic Sharks. Ended up getting a brand new 2007 AHD FastForward 160liter/79cm wide board instead. Sold it about seven years later at less than half the price. That board was VERY sensitive and I banged it up good. http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2008/11/how-i-started-shortboarding.html

In 2016 my windsurf buddy had a Shark 150 LTD for sale, but my windsurf funds were too low for that ...Later that same year ... I saw a 2006 Fanatic Shark HRS 145 for sale. In early 2017 I put a deposit on the 145 and picked it up in April.

My wife asked ... "Why do I need this board?" Now, no reason for me to get upset about being asked that question ... I do after all have too many boards. Probably about eight. Five that I use. The issue is - I MUST get in those foot straps. The beauty of this board is - it has an extra row of inserts that is NOT as far up as some StarBoard beginner straps, but up enough to make a difference... easier to get in and out - No Fear and No Loathing ...

Those straps should be EASY to get into !!

Some things to note, the board has NO vent screw and has quite rounded rails... It is long by today's standards, but that is okay with me !! Based on previous analyses ... I used to say the ideal sail for a board was its width divided by ten, which suggests 7.5 m² for this board and would NOT surprise me in the least. Since the board originally came with a 50 cm fin, I would be inclined to believe the board was also slated to handle 9 meter sails. This is confirmed both by board specifications and reviews ... The fin needs some minor repairs ... but started that right away !!

Also purchased a 47 cm slalom fin - thought there was NO fin with the board ^*(&*()

Zokay - will be GREAT with 8.x sails !!

This board used to belong to Dave Cadoret - before Ron. He used to be the president of the APVM/ Association de Planche à Voile de Montreal. It was either his or the association's. Dave helps out at 2-rad now at times. Saw him there in 2017 ...

In 2009 the German windsurf magazine did a report on the Shark 145 ...

They marked it as 152 liters and 9.4 kg with same dimensions as the 2006/2007. In their tests they called it the sportiest and yet the longest board of the test. "The board glides very well, is fast and runs freely over the fin..." They say it is less comfortable in chop, which surprises me with the 75 cm narrow width ...

Here is another German discussion on this board:

In summary and in English ...He is discussing the difference between LTD and HRS versions ...obviously cost ... 400 Euros small difference in weight (1.5 kilos) , but HRS is less sensitive to injury/damageHRS is after all High Resistance Skinthe HRS GFK fin is more flexible and lighter than the LTD G10 fin - surprisinglyCraig Gerntenbach of Fanatic informs me these are just "moulded polyester fins, with good twist characteristics"better foot pads on the LTDironically the LTD has more foot strap positions ie further in for learners ??with further out positions too obviouslyhe says you can feel difference between these models - LTD earlier planer and lighter under the feethowever, if you put a G10 fin on the HRS it is just as good a board ...local buddy had a Shark LTD 150 and said the same thing -- HRS is good enough - NO need to get the LTD ... for regular windsurfers like usso some performance differences, but both excellent boards ...The Fanatic video of the 2009 Sharks which were still the same sizes says pretty much the same thing: https://vimeo.com/5824456

This is what Tinho Dornellas of calema sports said about the Shark 145 in 2005

This board surprised me the most for how easily it planed. I put a 9.8 sail in light winds when no one was out sailing , everyone waiting for winds to build. With the conditions I had, I was expecting a fair amount of schlogging to the windline, but the minute I was on the off the shore, the board surged, wanting to plane. A smooth pump and the board was off on a plane. Frankly I did not expect this from a board that is fairly short, and having compared to boards of similar size in the Exocet, Starboard and Tabou line.Once on the plane, the ride is quick and the board is very maneuverable. The Jibe is OK , predictable and very accommodating to different techniques and rider input, always reliable.The mast track is quite far back, so be careful to place it well forward of halfway.

The footstraps are placed perfectly for different rider stance and weight, as well as skill level and type of sailing to be done on this board. One thing I really like on these new fanatics is the multiple footstrap positions you are offered. Most European boards feature a footstrap width that is so extremely wide (for booties) that sailing barefoot feels like your feet are dancing around constantly. Not with these boards. You can close or widen the attachment position so your foot is either super snug or comfortably loose.

The overall looks of the board are very appealing with a polished and very harmonious outline. I don't usually pay attention to this (other than wincing at some butt ugly noses on some boards out there..) But the fact that the board behaves so well in rough conditions has me looking closer at what the nice outline is doing.This is the same I found on the Eagle boards.

The Fin supplied is of very good quality and performance, and very light for its size.

I highly recommend this board for those looking for a board in this category, especially if you deal with choppy or wavy conditions. This board deals with rough conditions with total ease.

Heavier weight guys in the 100 kg category should love this board for its high wind abilities. It has the volume for underpowered sailing and it does not become too big when it blows.This is also the board for light weights and women that seek that first high performance board to advance their skills such as using footstraps carve jibing, and planing.

Sails 9.8 ? 6.0

For 9.8-8.5 sails:T= 145 cmFootstrapsFO4, RO2

Intermediate sailingT = 145 cmFootstrapsFI 3RI 2Stronger winds, sails 8.0 -7.0T= 142-140 cm3/6/06 Lately I have tested the LTD with a Meanline B 46 cm and the board became an excellent jibing board. Nice surprise!!!I even found a website that says the 2007 Shark 145 was good for 5-10 m² sails :

with a 50 cm fin coming with the board, 10 m² is for sure the max sail sizewould guess it is like my AHD FF 160/79 - best for 6-8 meter sailsRon used 6.5 @ 135 cm mark in 16-20 winds, but is much lighter

Tinho warned to put bigger sails at 145 cm mark

Here is the sticker from a later year: 6.5 - 9.5 !!

In 2005/6/7 there were the Sharks 135, 145 and 160with LTD versions of the 135 and 145. These boards already had the rounded noses...

In 2008 the sizes were changed to 130/145/160 still with the two smaller sizes available in LTD.In 2010 they must have realised the Shark was a popular free-ride board and put some Eagle influence on their shapes and came out with 100/115/125/135/150/165 sizes. It was still the 135 and 150 that were available in LTD.From 2011 until 2014 Fanatic dropped the number of Sharks down to 105/115/125/135/150/165.

Tinho Dornellas says he loved the Shark 145 most and I hope to do so as well !!!Here is the most decent video I found with this board so far and it is Hatteras !!In light wind with an Ezzy Cheetah 9.5 !!The kid says he is using a 4.3 on a Shark 145 cuz wind is howling @ 30 knots !!!So, my plan is as follows: In the next year or two up my skills to the point where I can make a decent decision on quiver choices... Do I go with JP SLW92, Shark HRS 145 and BEE LTD 124 OR JP SLW92 , AHD SL2 132 and a FreeWave 115 ?? 😊Of those boards, the only one i don't have yet is the FSW 115 !!So far managed to try the board a couple of times ... Both at OKA and neither a true success. Once at the main beach and once at La Crête. As Tinho says, I seemed to like the mast at the 140 mark. However, this seemed to make tacking impossible. The board floats less than I thought - for my big carcass. The AHD FF 160 was much floatier. The balance point on the board seems to be around the 120 cm mark from the back. Perhaps I should keep mast base back just in order to practice the straps ? For now will wait for water levels to drop before making next attempts. In 2017 Montreal had floods like many had not seen before. Last one like this was in the early seventies !! Access to many sites was not available. Boats were not put on the water yet ... Time to be more cautious. Will go back to MEQ2 longboard until everything settles down ...In early August 2017 I finally got a chance to give the board a run for the money. Winds were SW @ La Crête which mean on-shore and can try stuff without worrying too much. Tried it with the 47 cm slalom fin and HSM SpeedFreak 8.5. Went faster than i ever have on water - even than the AHD SL2 132. Had the mast base at 140. Because the wind picked up, went with the 38 cm slalom fin and NS Duke 6.9 and again flew like the dickens. Need to investigate why board often tended to go into the wind... That day was a 9 outta 10 session = a rare feat !!

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About Me

I am just an average joe windsurfer who tries to get as much time on water as possible and to learn about all the technicalities of wind, sails, masts, boards, fins and lately repairs :-(
Perhaps what sets me apart in Montreal is I also windsurf on ice and snow:-) Am still working on the ideal snow model ...
Started this blog as a windsurf journal and then just got carried away...